When it Rains
by GojiraCipher
Summary: SPOILERS TO 'CATCH AND RELEASE' LOOK AWAY! When a thunderstorm hits Beach City, Steven helps out a new friend who fears the storm, but is the storm all that the friend fears? -One shot-


**When it Rains**

 **This fanfiction is based off my thoughts for the next episode of Steven Universe. 'Steven helps out a friend who is afraid of lightning storms'. After how the new episode ends, it makes sense on who this friend is.**

Dark clouds hovers above Beach City, rain pure down throughout the small city and everyone was finding cover. Kiki and Jenny ran into the Fish Stew Pizza, Sandie and Lars watched from within the Big Doughnut, Greg was playing his guitar in his car, Ronaldo was running frantically to protect his evidence from rain, and Onion was just standing outside.

At Steven's house, the gem boy was just looking out the window, bored out of his young mind. "Rain plus day equals no fun outside." Steven's pressed his face on the window. "Why must it rain?"

"How should I know?" shouted Steven's 'guest' in the bathroom. "And what's this rain you speak of, the Steven?"

Steven turned towards his bathroom. "It's when water falls from the sky, like that shower in there." He walked over and sat next to the door. "You were on Earth for a long time. You must have seen it, Peridot."

Inside the bathroom, Peridot sat in the corner, holding onto the only piece of armor she had, her foot. She was captured and bubbled by the Crystal Gems and lost all her body armor. Her true size is only slightly taller than Steven himself.

"I've seen it. It's so stupid when I get wet. At least Homeworld is nice and dry." The irritated Peridot eyed at the toilet. "But I rather stand out there than witness the horrors that white seat."

Outside the bathroom, Pearl walked up to Steven, holding a leash. "Did she say anything about the Cluster?"

"No." Steven looked at the door. "Pearl, what will happen if Peridot doesn't tell us anything?"

Peridot got close to the door, listening on their conversation.

"Well Steven, we'll just have to ….." Pearl's eyes widen when she looked into Steven's innocent eyes. "We'll just tickle the information out of her. That's it." She patted him on the head. "Would you like Hot Chocolate?"

"Yes!" Steven gleed. "In fact, make that two."

"But Steven, you shouldn't consume that much sugar, again."

"No, me and Peridot."

Pearl glared at the door. "Now Steven, Peridot is still our enemy and a threat to Earth. I don't want you getting attached."

"She's just scared, like Lapis Lazuli."

Peridot banged on the door. "What is this hot chocolate you speak of? Will it melt me?"

Steven held in a laugh. "No. You drink it."

"Drink? Isn't that what biological life do to absorb water?"

"Yep, well chocolate is candy that can melt into a liquid."

"What is candy?"

"It's food that tastes sweet."

"What is food? What is taste? And what is sweet?"

Steven's eyes sparkled from Peridot's adorable questions. "Just taste it."

Pearl came back with two mugs of hot chocolate. "Here is yours, Steven. I made sure to make it with milk and put on whip cream and marshmallows."

"YUM!" Steven grabbed the mug.

"And here's Peridot's. Plain and made with just water." Pearl placed the mug on the floor and walked away. Peridot opened the door and quickly swiped the mug. "Hm." She examined the cup. "I'd never tried consumption."

"Make sure you let it cool down first." Steven warned.

"Cool down?" Peridot dipped her finger in the liquid and found it very hot. "Ow. I'd never know humans can withstand such heat WHAT A MINUTE! This will probably bubble me when consumed cool down. I will not fall for it!" So instead Peridot gulped the whole thing immediately. Her face then turned red and flames came out of her mouth. "HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!" Peridot jumped into the shower and drank up the water, which she accidently turned to hot. "HOT HOT HOT!" She quickly switched it to cold and finally retained her normal body temperature.

"D…Do humans and Stevens torture themselves like this for fun?"

"Nope." Steven came in. "And Steven's just my name. I'm a Human Being."

Peridot raised an eyebrow. "Name?"

"Yeah, like your name is Peridot." Steven sat on the floor and sipped his hot chocolate.

"Peridot?" Peridot shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm just like any other Peridot."

"Wait, what?" Steven's eyes grew and sparkled. "There're other Peridots?"

"Well yeah. Like there's other Pearls."

"Other Pearls?!" Steven grinned wide. "Are there other Garnets and other Amethysts too?"

"Well Homeworld Amethysts are not like the overdeveloped one you have here. And pure Garnets are differently designed from that fusion."

"So wait, how do you tell each other apart?"

Peridot was a bit confused. "Why do we need to?

Steven gave her an odd look. "Well aren't certain gems there your friends. Like one of the Pearls."

"What are friends?"

Steven then let his jaw dropped when he heard those words. "You don't know what friends are? No wonder why you're so mean."

"Me, mean? You Crystal Gems-"

Then Steven gave Peridot a huge hug. "I can be your first friend!"

Peridot pushed Steven away. "No, get your long touch holders off me!" Peridot jumped to the corner. "If a friend wrap holders around other friends, then I don't want any!"

Then the loudest thunder roared from the dark clouds above, and in an instance Peridot latched onto Steven.

"What in the stars was that?!" She held tighter onto the boy, sweating and twitching in fear.

"That's just thunder. And I kind of need to breathe." Peridot let Steven go and ran out of the bathroom. "Wait, Peridot!" Steven ran after her and saw Peridot looking at Garnet who was standing guard of the warp pad.

"You, fusion! We need to prepare battle stations for this thunder!"

Garnet crossed her arm. "Thunder is the result of lightning storms."

"Lightning …. STORMS!?" Peridot ran to the window and saw the weather growing stronger. "This planet has water and electricity fall from the sky on normal circumstances!?" She shifted her head. "How are we supposed to defend ourselves?!"

Garnet just simply smiled. "Well you won't be escaping through the front door then, will you?"

Peridot glanced at the door and the warp pad. "Then what do we do?!"

"Nothing." Steven calmly said.

"N-Nothing?! Aren't you frightened?" the frantic Peridot asked.

"I used to be when I was 5. But my dad and the Crystals Gems showed me it's not that scary." Steven then gasped in amazement. "We can do all the things we did so you won't be scared anymore."

"Does it involve those touch stuff holder wrapping?"

"….Almost everything we did."

As Steven prepared, Pearl noticed Peridot out and Garnet doing nothing. "Garnet, now's our chance."

"Hold it." said Garnet in her usual tone. "Peridot fears this storm and I'm on guard. Let's see how this plays out."

* * *

Steven had lit some candles around and turned off the lights. "Just in case we have a power outage." He then handed Peridot a blanket, who was starting to freak out when he said 'power outage'.

"Does this lightning storm drain energy from tech? Is that how it becomes powerful?"

"Nooo …. Wait, does it?"

"Eeeeho!" Peridot wrapped herself in the blanket, only revealing her eyes. "Alright, let's get this over with as fast as possible."

"No no. We're going to take this nice and slowly." Steven then set up a try of snacks. "Dad says that a happy tummy will make you feel better when you're afraid."

Peridot slowly picked up a nacho chip and examined it. "Why does this make me feel insulted? And what's a snack?"

"Just a small piece of food we like to have. Here, watch me." Steven dipped the nacho in some salsa and too a bit. "See, try it."

Peridot stuck out her tong and tasted the salsa. "Hmmmm. It does seem enjoyable." She then placed the nacho in her mouth and ate it. "I have to admit, the Steven; that was enjoying."

"It's working!" cheered Steven. "Here, have another."

Then Amethyst jumped out of nowhere and swallowed the whole tray, burped, made fun of Peridot about being afraid, and walked away.

"And now I'm back where I was."

Steven placed his hand on his chin. "Well, board games!"

* * *

"I don't understand this?" Peridot examined her Crying Breakfast Friend game piece.

"It's quite simple." Steven showed Peridot the dice. "We just have to roll these and how many dots are facing up, we move our piece that number of blocks on the board. Whoever reached the end wins."

"Wins? Win what?"

"The game!"

"What's a game? It is useful?"

After explaining Peridot what a game is, she decides to try it after some more thunder.

Peridot was starting to like the luck element to the game, but then landed on a card space. She drew the card and asked Steven what it says.

"Looks like you have to move your pieces two spaces back."

"W-What? Why?"

"That what the card says."

"And who does this card think it is? Yellow Diamond?"

"That's just how the cards flow."

Peridot threw the card in frustration. "Games are stupid like this planet."

"This planet isn't bad." said Steven. "I think we'll move onto the final step, story time."

* * *

Steven and Peridot sat on a couch as Steven read from a children book about storm clouds. "And then the big storm clouds came flying by and-"

Then a huge bang was heard from the storm, following a large strand of lighting.

"Aaaaah!" Peridot screamed in fear and hid herself underneath the pillows. "No more lighting, no more noise!"

"Hey, it's O.K." Steven placed his hand on Peridot's shoulder. "It's just loud noises. It won't hurt you."

Peridot continued to hide under the pillows. "Yes it will. You don't understand."

"But you're in this house, and cows hurt more people then lighting, and sharks."

The storm outside was growing stronger. "Do you not hear that? It's angry!"

"Angry?" Steven looked at the dark clouds. "They're just clouds. They don't get angry."

"The Steven, lighting is punishment!" Steven was caught off guard when Peridot looked straight at Steven with horrified eyes. "Lighting happens when you messed up! Thunder is lightning's anger! And anger happens when you need punishment."

"Punishment?" He held onto Peridot's arm. "What are you talking about?"

Peridot then swat Steven's hand away. "Punishment for failing Yellow Diamond!"

They both became quite. Peridot was breathing slowly as Steven just stood there, shocked.

"Peridot, does Yellow Diamond hurt you when you mess up."

Peridot held onto her arm. "That is how she treats all Gems. Her punishment is vital for higher chances of achieving our missions. And I wasn't punished enough." Peridot stood up. "I'm going back to the bathroom. I'm more familiar with it than here."

Steven was without words. He watched as Peridot took the blanket and walked back into the bathroom. "And don't bother me again. I'll only come out when I'm ready to discuss with the Gems about the Cluster."

Steven held his hands together and looked toward at Garnet, who had watched them the entire time. "Garnet. Is that how punishment is supposed to be?"

Garnet walked over to Steven and patted him on the head. "Only for criminals who have performed horrible acts, but never for mistakes and failures." She held onto Steven. "Steven, Yellow Diamond is very cruel."

"Cruel?" Steven looked her, concern for what Peridot might have gone through.

"It's true." Pearl and Amethyst came into the scene. "Her army alone nearly wiped us all out thousands of years ago."

"And believe me, they're not gonna tell you about that in detail." said Amethyst.

Steven sighed. "Well, we won't treat her like that. Peridot can stay with us."

The Crystal Gems looked at each other. "Steven, Peridot still cannot be trusted." said Garnet.

"But, she just scared. If we all just make friends with her-"

"Not gonna happen." said Amethyst. "Thanks to her, we have to deal with Jasper under the ocean with Lapis. And it's not going to be a walk in the park if she comes back."

"Correct." Pearl placed her hand on Steven's shoulder. "We still have no idea what this Cluster is. Even if Peridot leads us to it and destroys it, there's no telling what Peridot will do to go back to Homeworld, or when she does return."

"You should get some rest." Garnet said to Steven. "We'll talk about this more in the morning."

Steven yawned. "O.K. I'm just going to use the bathroom before bed."

The Crystal Gems said goodnight to Steven and remain in earshot in case Peridot tries something. Steven looked out the winder and into the night sky and saw the storm have cleared up. "At least Peridot won't have to worry all night."

Steven knocked onto the bathroom door. "Peridot. I need to go in there. And I need to use the toilet."

There was no response.

"Peridot?" Steven opened the door and gasped. "Peridot's gone!"

The Crystal Gems rushed in and found no trace of her. "Where is she?!" Pearl shouted. "When I find that Peridot I'll make her wish that-"

"I'm in here."

The Gems looked at the sink's bottom cabinet. Peridot opened the door. "It's more private here." She got out and cleared her throat. "Look. You don't want the Cluster to happen, and I want to be off the planet before it happens." She took a deep breath. "However, I am still loyal to Homeworld and you will want to destroy our progress. So I want to make a temporary truce." She held her hand out. "I'll help you, postpone the Cluster, and in return you will help save me. You will know where the Cluster is and I'll remain on this planet, still alive."

The Crystal Gems looked at each other. "Looks like we don't have a choice." said Pearl, which made Steven happy.

"However." Garnet removed her shades and made direct eye contact with Peridot. "One wrong move and I'll make sure you'll never escape that bubble."

Fear struck Peridot, but after remembering the storm and Yellow Diamond, she overcame it. "Agreed."

 **End**


End file.
